And Then They Were Stuck
by PeachWritesStuff
Summary: Roadhog was twenty eight when he played his role in ending the world. To do it he left behind a woman and child. It was for the greater good then. Besides, he long assumed them dead. However with this mission having to escort a junker leader to new turf, he was reliving it all. The resemblance to his lost daughter was too uncanny. Zarya is the only one keeping him sane.
1. 1

She was supposed to be dead.

So why had she come here?

She had her mother's eyes too.

Mako hadn't stopped staring since she walked in. Zarya by his side in the bar. This was an escort mission to relocate a junker leader safely. But still, that leader looked familiar.

It isn't her. It just isn't.

"How do you handle it? All this heat?"

The Russian woman by his side asked as she nudged his side.

"..."

"Fine, keep your secrets." she smiled as she sipped.

Mako kept staring. Hadn't seen her since she was a baby. And when he came to the farm after the bombs dropped his daughter was gone and his wife was ash.

So

Why

Is

She

Here?

"Tough guy?" Zarya asked. "Why the silence?" she paused. "It is more than usual,"

Had she known she would have stopped talking.

Mako couldn't take his eyes off the young lady. Laughing. Dancing and drinking.

She was just born.

Why is she drinking and dancing?

His stomach lurched. And finally he moved.

His feet carrying him not too fast to draw attention as he entered the toilet. Ignoring the glory holes and the graffiti, he just ripped off his mask painfully and lurched in the toilet.

His throat burned.

He deserved worse.

And Zarya was none the wiser.

The music was faint even outside. It wasn't a weekend. It was a casual day. People from all over Junkertown visited. And they of course were mostly weapon makers and construction workers. All lining up to drink with coworkers.

Zarya was grateful she made it here before anyone had the chance to beat her to being served as she pushed her beer to her lips and drank. She looked at the target to escort. A young girl no older than twenty or so. Maybe a little older.

Zarya watched. Waiting for Mako.

Mako couldn't breathe as he kept lurching in the toilet violently loud. Everytime he thought of it...the baby now turned adult.

He had to stop.

That wasn't her.

That wasn't.

She was dead.

She.

Was.

Dead.

Mako froze there in the room a long time. He caught his breath. Then he huffed some hogdrogen deep as he could.

Just don't look at her.

The mask was much needed.

He had to hide her from view.

It wouldn't take long before they made eye contact he knew it.

Mako hyperventilated.

The lurched again.

Was he dying?

Maybe he didn't deserve it.

He didn't deserve to live.

To breathe.

Soon there was nothing left to chuck. A forced stop made him shake and tremble with fear. Fear of something he didn't no…

No. Fear of someone.

But what was to fear of her? She was grown up and powerful yes but as far as he wanted to be concerned she was just another pompous cocky junker gang leader. But that wasn't where his concerns stopped was it? They pressed further about how he left her as a baby. How she must have hated him.

And fate was being evil. Not cruel. Evil.

She wasn't supposed to be alive.

Zarya was now a tad worried for Roadhog by the bar. Not to mention she was growing steadily sleepy. And she wanted to go to bed, but her iron will from the military kept her from showing that. And that's the moment Zarya finally knocked on the bathroom door. "Road-?"

The door opened and he just got done washing his face. After all that just got done happening anyone could see he looked painfully whiter than normal. Zarya wouldn't let this go unexplained.

"Are you?"

She asked.

He shook his head.

"I'm not, but we're all gonna be,"

Whatever it meant Zarya would not ask immediately. For the sake of his sanity. Judging by the smell and the way he looked he'd been vomiting in here. And the sooner they got the mission started the sooner they could all take a breather after it was over. And so Zarya nodded understandingly. "Whatever that means, I just hope you're okay. Want some water or…?" she wasn't really a medic. But she could try for her teammates sake. He nodded. Roadhog never accepted any offers like this before. Or any for that matter. But Zarya shrugged and filled up her end. She went to the bar and got him some water. All while Roadhog slowly made his way to Junkrat.

Junkrat was talking to Lucio and Mei. Mei wasn't present on the mission today. But she would meet them up at the watch point. Her little blue holovid showed her with pajamas on in bed as the two just talked. Junkrat always dedicated a little time to her even when a part. Something happened between them which Roadhog assumed was they had been meeting up in each others rooms every other night. Which meant they were most likely going at it at night. And that explained the loud sounds at night. The banging that hurt his head. Leave it to Junkrat to be a nuisance.

"Do the thing again!"

Mei rolled her eyes at the junker.

"Help me Obi Wan Kenobi! You're my only hope!"

And Junkrat was cackling. Until the fist of Roadhog nudged him gently on the head. "Get the target and send her to the carrivan." Roadhog ordered.

"Wait a mit! Ain't I your boss?!"

Roadhog stared at the pale white haired girl again and back at Junkrat.

Roadhog paused before bending down and meeting Junkrat at eye level.

"I have my own reasons why I can't do it. But please will you do this?"

Junkrat nearly fainted. Roadhog said please. Roadhog was being polite. And for a second Junkrat's white face grew whiter than Roadhog. In a way it was kind of funny had it not been for the situation.

"Ah...o-okay…?"

Junkrat nervously got up and shook off everything. Before walking off.

Roadhog returned to Zarya, got his drink, and took off with everyone to the ship. Roadhog had no feeling in his guts anymore. And as he watched the girl enter the ship first and foremost he eased up. Shaken but slow he went inside too and collapsed on his bed. How he was supposed to ignore the cargo he had no idea. But now he was stuck with it.

Zarya watched him as he clambered into his bunk. He looked miserable. Most nights he took his mask off and laid away from everyone not to be seen. But here he was splayed out with mask still on. And that somehow was more mysterious to her than anything else.

"Hey tough guy…"

His head rolled to face her. A low grunt came from him. She perceived it as a signal to keep talking.

"You okay?" Zarya asked.

He nodded. But he was very much not okay.

"In the army they train us to know when someone is lying. And I read that all over your face,"

A low groan came from Roadhog. And Zarya pulled herself up to his bunk and sat by him.

"If you don't want to talk I understand. But I just wanna make sure health wise nothing will prevent you from completing the mission and…"

He grabbed her hand. He said nothing. Just massaged her hand as he held it.

"Been through the wringer. Just want to be able to feel normal again. I'm not sick. I know that girl. And I'm feeling anxiety that she may know me. Under no circumstances does anyone but you know this. But I recognized that she's most likely the baby girl I abandoned some years ago. Thought she was dead but I was dead wrong. And now I know that fact. And you do too. But if you tell her or anyone...you won't be alive to tell anyone else…"

Zarya held onto every word. She was attentive. Not usually was she a good listener. However here? Here it was necessary.

"You thought she was dead…?"

"Yeah."

Zarya stared at their hands and squeezed them tight.

"I wont tell her, but you should,"

"I won't,"

"Then that is what you choose. To let her never know the truth."

Roadhog grunted.

"It is not right."

Roadhog looked at her. "If I wanted what was right I would have told all this to someone else."

And she went quiet. Zarya subconsciously rubbed his knuckles with her thumb. It made him stare. The sensation so gentle. Something he did not deserve. So why did she do it? And not knowing what else to do, he squeezed her hand delicately.

"...It is fair statement."

"hm,"

Zarya sighed. She stared at the floor.

"What happens if she finds out?" she asked.

Mako looked at the ceiling. "I won't let her."

"If she does?" Zarya asked again.

"I will probably avoid her more. I don't want to abandon her. Not again. But she's better off without me. I'm a bad man. I want her to have hope and a future with whatever she wants out of life. I doubt she could have that with me as part of it. I'm not worthy. Not after the things I did to her. She should get better," Roadhog said eyes shutting.

"You deserve to be happy too." Zarya argued. "Everyone does. I'm no person of philosophy but…" she thought a bit. "I don't think there would be as much evil if it weren't for people thinking they can't get better. People can change. And people have a right to try. Everyone owes it to themselves at least. I don't think anyone is past redeeming themselves." Zarya thought out loud.

"That's very glass half full of you," Roadhog answered dryly.

"I don't say what I don't mean."

He hummed. "Fair."

"Are you going to sleep?" she asked.

"I might be, but at the off chance I get sick again...do you think you could stay till I'm asleep?" he asked.

"A man like you fears the dark?" she teased.

"The silence actually."

And with that she stayed till she fell asleep as well.


	2. 2

And morning came as all things do.

She woke up from her bunk. Releasing the screen door and swinging out her feet to climb out of the Japanese hotel like bed. Taking in the scene of bunk beds and the kitchen at the back, remembering in the hall by the exit being where the toilet and shower was.

She walked out of he bunk groggily. The Orca on autopilot as the hatches to the beds were all shut. The girl was alone. A shower would be nice. It was like a camper trailer in here. So she locked herself in the bathroom and did her thing. She left and entered the kitchen. Charlie walked in quiet. Her guardians were most likely tired. And she knew well why. It wasn't hard to notice that one of her guards was sick. He had vomited in the bathroom for a while. She could read it. And realistically she wasn't really going to be a primadonna over it. He was probably still groggy. And she pitied him. They were clearly both Junkers. Both herself and whatever his name was. But given he was sick, when was going to take care of him. Even if his job was to help her.

And so she put together breakfast. A big lavish one for everyone to enjoy. From eggs to bacon to laid out cereals. It was her motherly attitude that got her what she wanted. In fact kindness was the last thing you would expect from a junker...but there was a story to that. One more befitting of a later conversation.

And as Charlie cleaned after herself, the sounds of stirring came from behind her. The first door opened. Another Junker with blonde fluffy hair and a stubbed leg. He reached behind him and appeared to be getting something.

"Lucio, you know where my peg leg is?" he whispered.

The Brazilian turned over and offered him the false appendage. And when Junkrat crawled out of bed, he caught sight of Charlotte in the room and blushed.

"I can explain," he began.

"I'm assuming you and Mei aren't a thing yet? She's at least aware and doesn't have the wrong impression right?" Charlotte asked.

"Not a doubt. I would not let her be hurt like that. She knows what me and Jamie do. Those two are friends with benefits till anything changes." Lucio promised. "We know it doesn't look great…"

Then he snapped and remembered something. "Yeah and she likes to join sometimes and...Wait a tick! How'd you know about her?"

"I was given a file by Winston. If I'm going to be moved to enemy turf I wanna know who's taking me."

The Russian woman named Zarya got out of bed and decided to add to the conversation.

"Smart,"

Junkrat jumped in his skin. That was where Roadhog was sleeping. Holy shit.

Zarya gave him a look. A look saying if he squealed she would ensure that she would give him something to squeal about. But she knew she could trust him anyhow.

"Maybe it would be wise to know about you," The Russian said to the twenty year old with the white hair.

The woman looked uncertain. "What all you wanna know?"

Zarya shrugged. "Maybe what you would wanna do in another turf?"

The woman rubbed her chin in thought.

"Hm…"

The silver haired girl sighed through her nose and began.

"Alright. My name is Charlotte."

Junkrat interjected like an alcoholics anonymous meeting. "Hello, Charlotte!"

She laughed in her throat before continuing. "They call me Charlie. I'm going to another territory to," she paused.

"There's no polite way of saying it really…

I'm on my way to go and marry a fellow gang leader and unite us to end a gang war."

The room went quiet. The air was heavy and no one dared speak.

"So you're like…" Junkrat paused.

"...a princess kind of?"

Charlie nodded. "I like to think of myself like one in a way!" she chirped.

"This man. You have met him?" Zarya asked.

Charlie shook her head. "I wanna go in with an open mind."

Lucio finally piped in. "Open mind? Your guys have been killing his guys and vice versa!"

The Junker queen cleared her throat. "Open as one can be in my circumstances,"

Behind Zarya Roadhog was comatose. Zarya turned to make sure of that. Yes he was still very much knocked out. Good. Let's hope it stayed that way.

"This guy...you have met him?" Zarya asked.

"Ah...well no. It could be a she for all I know, I never saw him physically. Just through words… 'Watch your mouth Cat, one wrong word and Bones'll come after ya,' and then he would kill like six of my guys. So yeah not the ideal for me. But I know he's going to stop doing that after the wedding so yeh… "

"How the hell are you sure?" Junkrat asked very concerned.

"I can always kill him in his sleep and usurp his gang and territory," Charlotte argued nonchalantly.

"Good point…"Junkrat thought. "…I like this girl actually!" he laughed.

Zarya dwelled on her words until suddenly the ORCA shifted and tilted to one side before rocking back to normal.

"Fuck…" Junkrat mumbled under his breath when balance was regained. Then he gasped, clapped his hands in one motion and rubbed them together like an eager bond villain as he grinned ear to ear.

"Think them moight be bandits?!"

"Let's hope not!" Lucio said visibly shaken up, he was very paranoid around junkers who were capable of anything. Junkrat and Roadhog were like that but they were certainly not a threat to most people if they liked them.

Roadhog groaned awake and rolled over. His large clumsy calloused hands stretching out and looping around Zarya's waist like he was searching for a pillow. He didn't say anything but grumbled sounds vaguely sounding like "Sorry,"

And soon the ship tilted again. Athena chiming in on the autopilot.

"We will be going in for an emergency landing. Foreign object has made contact with the ship."

"Action at last!" Junkrat and Charlotte cheered.


	3. 3

The ship hissed defiantly as it sat itself on the ground. To the outside men and women on bikes and holding chains ready to turn it to scrap, they saw this as fair game to try to pry off any metals their malicious hearts desired. Like cockroaches the thieves scurried off whooping and cheering with various stolen power tools and began to try to pry off materials from the ship. One man was almost able to free off a piece of the hover technology, using a power drill vaguely stained with blood as he leaned ambitiously over the machinery, until the sudden sensation of being removed violently as his body was pulled ungodly fast into a big pink hand. Had he known he was being carried away by chain he would have assumed it to be the fault of one of his peers. But this wasn't no gang member of his. This was something else.

Roadhog bashed some heads in and shot his canon like gun near aimlessly as he fired away at unsuspecting gang members. They had various guns among them, some heavy some not. And as Mako ignored the bullets being shot right at him, he managed to catch a glimpse of his team mates. Zarya was telling everyone to fire at will and Junkrat made some dumb joke about how he wasn't just gonna fire at will, that he would fire at every Tom, Dick, or Stanley he caught wind of regardless. And Lucio laughed at that remark and Charlotte probably laughed ungodly hard at that one. Roadhog said nothing, he just kept taking them out. When the dust settled, most of the gang were either dead or unconscious.

The team oversaw the carnage and took a second to understand what all they were seeing.

"How is a gang powerful enough to want to make Athena want to land?" Zarya asked.

Junkrat kicked a limp body with his peg leg like a stray stone in the gravel.

Roadhog tried looting them for weapons or possible spare change if there was hope.

"Don't know. But their bark was worse than their bite...they didn't really put up much of a fight. So maybe it wasn't them."

He found a candy bar on a dead junker. It was small compared to his large hand and he could only hold it with two fingers.

Useless.

He threw it at Charlotte. His way of giving it to her wanting her to keep her strength up. She was annoyed at first till she saw the free food and ate it immediately. She had such small hands opening the packaging. How could someone of Roadhog's flesh and blood be so tiny? She didn't seem very tall or muscular. How was she so powerful as a junker gang leader anyhow? What made her so powerful?

Unless…

Roadhog stood up and walked to her as tall as a tree over a stick.

"I'm thinking it was you wasn't it?"

Charlotte looked up from her candy bar like a small child as Lucio gasped and Junkrat howled an "Ooh!" like an elementary schooler. Zarya got up and tilted her head.

"What makes you say this?" the Russian asked.

"Think about it. You aren't this tough thing that could scare people into working for you. So what the hell made you powerful in the first place?" Roadhog asked looming over the girl as though staring down his shadow.

"It's drugs. You're carrying coke on you right now."

Junkrat released another "OOOH!" loudly.

Junkers didn't have easy access to leaving Australia. In fact they usually didn't have any access to money either. But a huge drug abuse problem was widespread over the island continent. It was easier to make coke these days and it made a lot of money, but if you were peddling it than even by junker standards you were both just as powerful as you were cruel and didn't care if people around you died. Of course selling weed however just made you look no different than the normal people who sold it in other countries and wasn't a big deal. But heavy stuff that sold for high prices like heroin, coke, and meth all were able to attract more customers, and lead to more deaths.

"Why the hell would I be carrying smack right now?!" Charlotte asked stepping back one foot away from the looming giant.

"Makes sense you would. That's the quickest way to get the scum of the earth following and obeying you. And you don't scare anybody either. So how else did you get to be in charge?" Roadhog asked.

Charlotte shrank a little. "I'm not gonna talk about shite with you! I don't owe you a damn explanation!"

"See? Not scary."

"Cock sucker!" Charlie hissed.

Junkrat watched the debate curiously and leaned to Lucio. "Methinks the lady doth protest too much,"

Lucio leaned to Junkrat. Whispering. "You think she has smack with her?"

"Prolly. Lots of Junkers do that sort of thing. I experimented but I'm more of a hooch type…" the Aussie whispered.

"Hooch?" Lucio asked.

"You know. Ganja? Choof?" Junkrat asked.

Silence from the innocent Brazilian.

"C'mon man you're a DJ! Surely you know what weed slang is!" Junkrat said at a moderate tone.

"Ooooooh. Well maybe not Austrailian slang but I'm down if you are." Lucio laughed.

"Are you two seriously going about this now?" Zarya asked above a whisper at them.

The two looked at each other and back at Charlotte and Roadhog arguing. Then nodded and disappeared into the ORCA.

Zarya groaned internally and tuned back into the conversation.

"Whot the hell does it matta ta ya if I'm selling on the side?!"

"It doesn't matter to me as long as I get paid. But I would like to know whether or not if we're transporting drugs or not. That's all I'm trying to say."

"Up yours!"

"I doubt either of us want that."

Zarya cleared her throat. "Well regardless we are having a job to do so let's focus on that first and foremost."

"Fair enough," Roadhog grumbled.

Charlotte stormed away as Roadhog just turned to look around.

"I just don't get it…" Mako mumbled.

"Why it matters if we transport her with drugs with her or not?" Zarya asked raising a scarred brow.

"No...what tilted the ship." he added.

Zarya looked around and found nothing.

"Let's just get a move on."


	4. 4

People often saw the concept of one's daughter getting married as a beautiful exciting occasion. And this was exciting but not necessarily a beautiful thing. Roadhog knew damn well this would only lead to Charlotte being either killed or miserable. But he had a conflict inside himself. One he sat around contemplating knowing the longer he did so the longer he would be bothered. By the time he decided what to do it would be too late.

Roadhog had been laying in bed for hours all night. Zarya wasn't here tonight. She had her own bunk. It's not like she was his to lay on and doze as he did last night. It was odd to think just today he accused his own daughter of bringing drugs with her to make a sale when she arrived at her future home. Charlotte didn't deserve to be yelled at. He tried to just talk to her. Instead he just asked. It wasn't his fault she had a temper. So there. He won that much at least. So why was he unsatisfied? He sat up. Mako had to rationalize. Self medicate. Think it through.

All he needed was sleep.

Just a minute to close his eyes and breathe as he felt himself sinking almost. And eventually he had found himself in a deep sleep.

She stood before him with her usual curves and muscles proudly protruding from her body like petals from a rose, or thorns given the right circumstances. She sat on his bed with bare naked thighs crossed when he saw her sitting there. Her surprisingly dainty hands running along her shaved skin. How long was she there? Mako wondered. Just staring at her full naked figure was a true wonder. And it made his chest flutter. There was the sensation that he had to act now. So he shut the door behind him without a word of defiance parting from his lips. He removed his mask as soon as the lights were off. He wouldn't show her his face. Not now. He was on top and she was beneath him and submissive as a woman usually is in these things. Some would suspect Zarya a dominant woman but not with Mako. Not ever. The night lasted long with the unspoken acts they committed to in the dark.

But soon it went away when Mako woke up.

He sat up and sweated. His heart raced as he felt cold. Why Zarya? Why her? What was it she said? She didn't speak a word in the dream. She just let out those sounds...those sounds oh god. He wanted to hear her again. He wondered what her real moans sounded like. And without thought he opened the door to his bed and stepped out looking at the bunk above his. Her door was shut still. It was still late at night. There's no way in hell she was awake. Zarya was probably in a coma in there by now. And what the hell would he do anyway? Roadhog cowered back to bed and huffed. Was he really supposed to barge in without a plan? That was more Junkrat's thing. Not thinking to so much as run away during a heist. Was lust really doing this to him right now? He shivered. It had been so long since he had last...well. Done that.

The night was going on forever. There was no end to the laying awake and torment. And no matter the amount of time he spent tossing and turning and breathing deep, he still stayed awake. His chest pounding. He craved that woman's touch. It didn't need to be sexual but he would at least like to lay his head on her lap or her chest or even her shoulder if it meant he could take in her warmth the way he did last night. He usually loved being alone. But when it came to Zarya...he wanted to give respectful space at day and sleep with her all night. Sexually or not. So that had to have meaning. But he hadn't had meaning in this sort of thing since last time.

He could still see his wife as though he just walked away from her after kissing her goodbye. Her short curly blonde hair and freckles peppering her white cheeks. Her whole dress a light pink in the sun. She was sleepy looking. The only one who took care of the baby while he worked in the liberation front. He played a role so that he could stop eventually and be the father he was meant to be. It was just going to take a while. A while of fighting so she could stay happy. And he would do it willingly.

Her green eyes vanished the farther they got. And he didn't know it was the last time he would see them meeting his. And if he knew that, he would have stayed there and looked at them for hours and apologize for what he'd done. Move to the city and let go what happened. Let the farm go. Even if it was an heirloom, it wasn't worth them losing each other.

Would Zarya be anything like her?

He looked up at the bunk above his own and reached a hand out, pressing against the metal with his hand curiously knowing she was on the other side. It reminded him of when Charlotte wasn't born yet and he used to press his hand against her when still in the womb. And suddenly there was a sinking feeling that hit faster than light or sound could hit him. Almost instant.

It didn't help knowing Charlotte was in the ship tonight.

His vision was the first to go.

He rushed home to find the house an empty pile of wood. The place was completely empty. Except for the ashes. Good god those ashes of wood and who knows what else. There was still a pile of burning scraps laying about. There was the smell of death and fire. The ash was burning like bright red snow. Like when he had his grandfather smoking in the same room as him, and he recognized that burning smoky smell even with the mask on. And even with the mask on, anyone could read the shock and horror at what he had achieved. At how he had done the opposite of what he'd set out to do tonight. And it made him vomit. It made him shake. And for a while it made him blind.

When he woke up the morning came and he had put her belongings in the baby's room. He locked that door forever. Somehow it was one of the rooms kept mostly intact. He didn't dare disturb it. And he sat on the stairs gazing aimlessly to nowhere. He slept whenever the sun came down. Only the on what was left of the couch. Then he would eat whenever he found food. It was unknown how long he did it. Months, days, weeks, maybe a year or two even. He hardly removed his mask. And some days people would disturb his farm. And so he would stand in front of them and break them like scum that they were to him. Roadhog took nothing from anyone except for the state of how Australia once was. But he kept to himself. He deserved nothing. So when bothered, he would ensure it wouldn't happen again.

Today there was a frail skinny white man and a dark black man shorter than him by his side. Perhaps trying to steal from him as usual when with junkers. At first it seemed like they stood confused. However the white man got horror in his eyes when he saw Roadhog approaching. The man jumped in front of the other and attempted to protect him only for both of them to be slapped away and knocked some feet away into what was once the kitchen counter. And one of them grabbed a pan and hit him with it. The dark man with dreads did it. It felt like a small slap. Roadhog turned. Maybe to truly hurt them both he would kill him slow. But with his back away from the white man he jumped on his back and wrapped around him like some sort of attacking spider. Roadhog ran backwards into a wall to knock him off.

Which woke up everyone on the ship.

Zarya laid in her bunk till she heard the sounds of thuds and crashes in the kitchen. She rolled over and chose to investigate as she pried open her sliding door and evacuated hurriedly to the kitchen to see what she had some several times before. Junkrat being brutalized by Roadhog. And rather fearfully she took a split second to process before she lept into action. Rather quickly punching Roadhog in the face and sending him stumbling.

"I-I'm sorry!" she called, only to make him more confused.

He struggled to stand and lunged at her, only for her to put her arms out and stop him. But she scooted as he charged her. She wanted very much for this to be a very different style of embrace. However this just wasn't that. He kept coming at her and soon had her lifted up and choked. Which made her suddenly freeze up and panic, cause her arms weren't doing anything for her mid air like this. She was held so far away she couldn't grab anything as he lifted her by the throat and slammed her against the wall and held her in place. And without thought she desperately tried to move. But it seemed that was long out of the question by now.

"M...a…."

Her voice was set up and slipped away regardless like a paper thin card set up on one side without the support of another that was then exposed to wind. Her words fluttering out like weak feathers floating down to Roadhog's bare feet on the tile kitchen floor.

"...ko…"

His hands loosened barely as he leaned in.

"What the fuck did you say?"

Silence.

He slammed her head against the wall again.

"What the fuck did you say?!"

Zarya gasped for the bit of air he had been able to give her.

"...Mako…" she replied.

Why was he shaking?

She looked so familiar. She must have dyed her hair pink. Her blonde roots were coming out. Her eyes. They were so green. And so tearful. She was so tall and muscular. How the hell was she so afraid?

"...I don't want to hurt you…" she choked.

He never saw Zarya cry. No one did. Her eyes had to be watering.

"Just...let me go...and we can go back to bed and try to ignore it all…" she begged.

Zarya never begged. It wasn't for her life. It was more for her to be given the chance to help him.

"We both know this is not you…"

Her hand reached. It touched under his mask and pulled. The mask slid up his face and rested to the top of his head. Exposing him.

His round green eyes and black eyebrows that matched the stubble peppering his jawline, the wide nose and long lashes, the prominent age detail. All now exposed to the cool air. He felt nude. But that didn't matter. He was awake, and everyone could see that now as he dropped Zarya onto the ground where she sputtered and coughed for dear life. Mako rushing to her to put his arms around her and embrace her tightly. Uttering a million apologies as he broke down into madness.

Charlie stood in the doorway.

"What the hell is all this about...?"


End file.
